


Like Christmas Day Came Early

by colazitron



Series: Fic Advent 2013 [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-03
Updated: 2013-12-03
Packaged: 2018-01-03 09:50:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1069045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry trusts Ed's judgement and lets Liam set him up on a blind date</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Christmas Day Came Early

Harry doesn't like blind dates. And Liam always sends him on the worst ones. It doesn't matter how lyrical he waxes about this 'Louis' character, Harry doesn't trust him. It's just that Ed is a fantastic judge of character, so when he'd chimed in with a "oh, the pretty one? Yeah, you should go, H, you'll like him", Harry had been too intrigued. So here he is, taking a final fortifying breath of clear winter air and trying to calm the squirming nerves in his belly.

 

The maitre d' shows Harry to a small table toward the back of the restaurant where a young man sits looking out the window and absently running his fingers over the bottom of a glass of sparkling water. All Harry can say for sure from this angle is that he's got a good head of hair and a nice set of shoulders, but a sinking and yet bubbling feeling that he's seen him before starts to prickle in his fingertips. He nods his thanks at the maitre d' with a smile and then turns to adress the man - Louis - who seemingly hasn't noticed him yet.

 

"Um."

 

Admittedly, it's not his smoothest entrance. Less smooth still is Louis, who startles and knocks over his glass, reaching to right it before looking up at Harry, surprise still evident on his face, and _shit_ , Harry _does_ know this guy. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but he's seen him around campus often enough to remember what kind of bag he uses to carry his books and that he switched to a warmer scarf a couple days ago.

 

"Oops," Harry says and reaches for the napkin on his side of the table to mop up the worst of the spillage.

 

"Oops indeed," Louis says and then gets up to grab one of Harry's hands and air kiss his cheek in greeting. "Hi."

 

Harry laughs a bit when they step back from each other.

 

"Hi. Sorry about that. Not my best moment."

 

Louis waves him off. "Mine either. At least our expectations will have been adjusted accordingly."

 

Harry knows he meant to imply they'd been lowered, but actually, Harry's just sky-rocketed.

 

"I aim to disappoint," Harry teases. Louis puts a hand over his heart and pretends to swoon a bit.

 

"Just my kind of guy."

 

They grin at each other for a moment and then Harry reaches for the bottle of water to top up Louis' glass. Louis thanks him primly, but genuinely, before looking at Harry sheepishly.

 

"Actually, without wanting to sound creepy, I've, like, seen you around campus, I think? It's just I'm usually late so I've never... anyway. Your ginger mate showed me a picture of you when Niall was trying to talk me into this, so I knew I'd be meeting you, and, um. Yeah. So you know."

 

Harry feels his cheeks warm and if the way Louis reaches for his glass is any indication, his did too. He's looking bashful but also defiant, like he's _daring_ Harry to try and turn this on him somehow.

 

"You have an Iron Man bag and you switched your black scarf for a grey one on Monday," Harry says instead of commenting on Louis' confession. Louis looks a little startled but then laughs.

 

"Hi, I'm Louis," he says and reaches a hand out across the table for Harry to shake. He looks pleased. Harry counts it as a win.

 

"Harry," he says. The evening goes far more metaphorically swimmingly from then on.

 

(Turns out the picture Ed had showed Louis was from their summer vacation and had Harry in his favourite yellow swim shorts. He's not gonna say Ed gave them an opening that led to Louis 'repaying the favour' but he's got a sneaky feeling that he totally did.)

 

**The End**


End file.
